Former Jersey City candidate Bruce Alston told he no longer faces charges

Theft and conspiracy charges filed against a former state Senate and Jersey City City Council candidate have been dropped, officials confirmed.

Jersey City businessman Bruce Alston said he got a notice in the mail last week saying his bail had been discharged and he could pick up the check. Surprised, he then called Hudson County Superior Court Judge Lisa Rose and was told those charges had been dropped.

“The complaining witness was a former business associate and we were involved in a back-and-forth lawsuit against each other,” Alston said Thursday. “Political adversaries of mine realized we were going through this and encouraged him to file criminal charges against me.”

That business associate has since died. The charges filed against two others in the investigation have also been dropped. Alston was also charged with threatening another witness in the case and that charge is still pending.

The Hudson County Prosecutors Office submitted a request for the theft and conspiracy charges to be dropped and the judge agreed.

“I want to thank the Hudson County Prosecutor’s Office for doing a thorough investigation, but the damage has already been done to me politically and professionally,” said Alston.

Alston had posted 10 percent of a $155,000 bail and has been free since his arrest in January. He said he has spent tens of thousands of dollars in legal fees in the matter.

Investigators had alleged that Alston and an associate created a fictitious deed making it appear his company owned a particular property in Jersey City. An alleged victim then purchased the parcel, which Alston’s company had no right to sell and which did not become the property of the person who paid for it, officials had alleged.

Alston’s company then used the money from the sale to buy the property for half the amount, officials had alleged.

Alston said he has done nothing wrong and that he intends to run again for the Ward F council seat.